Department for Transport

High Speed Two: Redundancy

lord framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many HS2 Ltd employees have been made redundant to date; and what has been the total cost.

baroness sugg: To date 87 individuals have been made redundant at HS2 Ltd at a total cost of £2.495m.

European Rail Traffic Management System

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is funding the installation in train cabs of in-cab signalling for the European Train Control system in trains operated by (1) passenger franchise operators, (2) open access passenger operators, and (3) freight operators.

baroness sugg: Government is using part of the National Productivity Investment Fund assigned to Digital Signalling announced in the Autumn Statement 2016 to fund a number of in-cab signalling projects. 1) Four Passenger First-in-Class design, fitment and testing projects. 2) The fitment of nine Class 180 vehicles operated by an open access operator. 3) Three Freight First-in-Class design, fitment and testing projects with a further three design projects.

Tax Havens: Train Operating Companies

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 20 November 2017 (HL3029), what consideration they have given to introducing rules on the use of offshore tax havens to Train Operating Companies awarded franchises by the Department for Transport, equivalent to those being considered in relation to water companies.

baroness sugg: All Train Operating Companies are UK registered companies. The Franchise Agreement requires franchisees to comply with relevant Tax legislation including the General Anti Abuse Rule (Part 5 of the Finance Act 2013).

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Pyrolysis

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential overall cost effectiveness and environmental impact, including carbon footprint, of the process of pyrolysis of waste plastics into synthetic gas and oil within a closed system.

lord henley: Pyrolysis is an advanced conversion technology (ACT). We recognise that ACT has the potential to play an important role in helping us to decarbonise. To date we have not undertaken any assessments by feedstock type and therefore do not have data on the cost effectiveness and environmental impact of the pyrolysis process of waste plastics into synthetic gas and oil.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will commit to publish the report of the Insolvency Service into the failure of Carillion.

lord henley: Once the investigation is complete, the Government will consider what detail it is appropriate to publish having full regard to any legal restrictions on publication, and also the legitimate public interest in the cause of Carillion’s failure.

Culham Centre for Fusion Energy

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ministerial visits have been made to the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in each of the past three years; and whether any are planned for 2018.

lord henley: In the past three years, there have been four ministerial visits to Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), these include: My right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities (2015)My hon. Friend the then Minster of State for Universities and Science (2016)My noble Friend Lord Prior of Brampton, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (2017)My hon. Friend Jesse Norman, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (2017) The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discusses potential ministerial visit opportunities with our partner organisations. Decisions on any future visits to Culham will be taken in due course.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to safeguard the wider supply chain of businesses affected by the collapse of Carillion.

lord henley: On 18 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy chaired the first meeting of a taskforce to advise on the impact on small businesses and employees affected by Carillion insolvency. It will act as a means for government to communicate to those affected by Carillion’s liquidation, including the wider supply chain, assess wider economic impacts and consider how to ensure that employees are provided with the right support to maximise rapid re-employment. The taskforce’s attendees included representatives from leading business bodies, the construction trade sector, unions, banks and government.In addition, the Secretary of State and my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business met with leading business and construction trade bodies, representing Carillion’s sub-contractors, to understand the impact of Carillion’s insolvency on the supply chain, and agree actions that could be taken to mitigate this. They will continue to meet regularly these organisations regularly.The Secretary of State also met major high street lenders to seek assurances that they will not penalise small businesses affected by Carillion’s liquidation. Lenders are contacting customers and, where appropriate, are putting in place emergency measures, including overdraft extensions, payment holidays and fee waivers to ensure those facing short term issues can be helped to stay on track.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future of those individuals currently working on Carillion construction sites.

lord henley: Government has enacted robust contingency plans to mitigate the impact of Carillion’s insolvency on public services and the individuals employed by the company. The Government has provided funds to ensure continuity of public services.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy chaired the first meeting on 18 January of a taskforce to advise on the impact on small businesses and employees affected by Carillion insolvency. It will act as a means for Government to communicate to those affected by Carillion’s liquidation, assess wider economic impacts and consider how to ensure that employees and apprentices are provided with the right support to maximise rapid re-employment and continuation of training.We sought assurance from major high street lenders that they will not penalise small businesses affected by Carillion’s liquidation. Lenders are contacting customers and, where appropriate, are putting in place emergency measures, including overdraft extensions, payment holidays and fee waivers to ensure those facing short term issues can be helped to stay on track.Where there are job losses, support will be provided by the Government to affected employees through the Job Centre Plus Rapid Response Service and local government initiatives. The Rapid Response Service works with businesses at a local level to identify skill shortages and develop training and skills programmes to fill any gaps in the local economy and labour market. This is a service with a strong track record of helping people at a very distressing time.Information is published online by the Insolvency Service for employees, creditors and suppliers affected and seeking advice. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/carillion-declares-insolvency-information-for-employees-creditors-and-suppliers



Carillion support webpage
(PDF Document, 57.6 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to achieve gender parity among participants in all meetings and events at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in the UK in April.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to enable women-led civil society organisations in Commonwealth countries to participate at and influence the outcomes of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for women’s rights issues to be included in discussions on prosperity, security, sustainable futures and fairness at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether financial support will be provided to women-led civil society organisations to attend the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are working closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, member states and women's associations to ensure that women and women's rights issues feature throughout the week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April and across all policy areas. The Women's Forum in particular will consider a range of issues related to women's political, economic and social participation. The three other forums are for youth, civil society and business. We are encouraging all forums to have speakers that reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth. The forums, including civil society and women-led organisations, will have the opportunity to feed into the Heads of Government discussions. Support will be provided to members of civil society organisations, including women-led organisations and youth representatives, to attend the four forums.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend the sustainable development goals to be a subject for discussion at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK alone is not responsible for developing the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. It is developed in partnership with all member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat and we expect it to reflect the diverse interests of the Commonwealth. Although there is unlikely to be a specific agenda item on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a whole, we anticipate discussions to cover various SDG themes, given member states unanimous commitment to the 2030 agenda, including SDG 13 on climate action and SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. The four official forums will also provide platforms for discussions across the SDGs.

Bahrain: Embassies

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken to ascertain that information received from the Embassy of Bahrain is factually correct, in the light of reports of misleading statements being made by the Embassy regarding a meeting held with Amnesty International in November 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has regular conversations with the Government of Bahrain, both in Manama and through the Bahraini Embassy in London. Any information passed to us through these channels is regarded as official.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries are currently designated as Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative Champions alongside the UK; and which minister is the designated champion in each country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: There are currently 19 Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative Champion countries: Australia, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Liberia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Sweden, Timor-Leste, the United Arab Emirates and the US. It is not possible to provide a comprehensive list of named champions. Not all Champion countries have a designated named Champion because the work is often incorporated into broader gender-focused policy across a number of different departments.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings have been held by representatives of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative Champion countries in 2017; what were the objectives of such meetings; what topics were discussed; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: A single meeting with all Champion countries was not possible in 2017. We are reviewing the possibility of staging such a meeting, particularly with a view to preparing for the international meeting which we will host in 2019. I have raised the PSVI in meetings with ministers and other representatives of both Champion and other countries, and in relevant international organisations.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure that preventing sexual violence in conflict and combatting sexual gender-based violence are discussed both at the Commonwealth Forums and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April; and whatwas the outcome of those discussions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In my regular discussions with Commonwealth member states and other nations, I continue to raise the importance of addressing sexual violence in conflict, and I encourage all those countries who are yet to endorse the UN Declaration of Commitment to end sexual violence in conflict, to do so.The agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is developed in partnership with all member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat, and we expect it to reflect the diverse interests of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Secretariat and the relevant Commonwealth organisation are responsible for developing the agendas for the four official Forums. Although there is unlikely to be a specific agenda item on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we anticipate that discussions will cover various gender issues, given member states’ unanimous commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal agenda, including Sustainable Development Goal 5 on ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, which includes eliminating all forms of violence and exploitation. We continue to work with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Secretary General to ensure a wide range of important issues such as Violence Against Women and Girls are discussed in the Women's Forum.

Department for Exiting the European Union

British Nationals Abroad

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rights of UK expatriates after Brexit.

lord callanan: From the very beginning the Prime Minister has been clear that safeguarding the rights of UK nationals living in the EU, and EU nationals living in the UK, was her first priority for negotiations. This is a commitment we have delivered. The agreement reached with the EU and set out in the Joint Report published in December, will provide the UK nationals in the EU with certainty about their rights going forward. It will enable UK nationals and their families who have built their lives together in the EU to stay together. This agreement not only gives the people more certainty about residence, but also healthcare, pensions and other benefits. There were a number of citizens’ rights issues raised by the UK that were deemed outside the scope of the EU mandate for the first phase of the negotiations. The UK intends to return to in these in the next phase of negotiations.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 20 December 2017 (HL3994), what was the total number of fines issued for incorrectly claiming an exemption on NHS dental fees in the first six months of thefinancial year 2017–18.

lord o'shaughnessy: The NHS Business Services Authority reports that a total of 217,539 fines were issued to patients on the grounds of incorrectly claiming an exemption from NHS Dental Patient Charges in the first six months of the financial year 2017–18.

Mefloquine

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the report in the Sunday Times on 14 January that the Ministry of Defence had stated that respected health bodies continued to recommend Lariam "as a safe and effective form of malaria prevention", which bodies provide such a recommendation.

lord o'shaughnessy: Mefloquine is effective in the prevention and treatment of malaria and is licensed for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which regulates medication in the United Kingdom. As with all medicines, the MHRA keeps the safety of mefloquine under continual review.Bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention, the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to include mefloquine as an option for malaria chemoprophylaxis.

NHS: Negligence

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the NHS budgethas been spent on (1) clinical negligence payments, (2) insurance premiums, and (3) legal fees, for each of the last five years.

lord o'shaughnessy: A table showing total expenditure on clinical negligence, insurance premiums and legal fees for the past five years, and as a percentage of Department’s Total Departmental Expenditure Limit, has been attached owing to the size of the data.



CN, insurance and legal expenditure
(Word Document, 20.96 KB)

Health

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to take further action to encourage NHS users to accept greater responsibility for their health.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government wants everyone to be able to make healthier choices, regardless of their circumstances, and to minimise the risk and impact of illness. We have given local government the freedom to innovate and develop their own ways of improving public health in their area. In addition, Public Health England supports local innovation, helps to provide disease control and protection and spreads information on the latest innovations from around the world. Progress is being made. Since 2000, both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy have increased in England; the population is now living longer and spending more years in good health. There has been a significant reduction in the prevalence of smoking going from almost 46% in 1974 to 15.5% in 2016 and alcohol consumption is also falling. However there is more to do and a range of initiatives are underway to build upon these improvements: - Change4Life, Public Health England’s flagship behaviour change social marketing campaign, encourages families across England to ‘eat well and move more’;- the Tobacco Control Plan for England 2017-2022 lays down bold ambitions to reduce further smoking prevalence in England, en-route towards creating a smoke free generation; and- the 2016 UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines provide the public with the most up to date scientific information to help people make informed decisions about their own drinking. Additionally, the NHS Constitution sets out responsibilities patients have that will safeguard their and their family’s health and wellbeing. The handbook that is published alongside the Constitution provides further detail on what steps patients can take. We will update the handbook in 2018 and will take this opportunity to look at how the wording on patient responsibilities can be strengthened further.

Benzodiazepines

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the impact on patients of the long-term use of benzodiazepines by NHS patients.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of trends in the use of dependence-forming medicines prescribed in primary care.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionsthey are taking to discourage the use of dependence-forming medicines prescribed in primary care.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey intend tocommission specific guidelines for the NHS that cover withdrawal from prescription drugs.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of benzodiazepines by National Health Service patients and other dependence forming medicines prescribed in primary care. The National Centre for Social Research recently published Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Medicines, which reviewed data for 50,000 NHS patients in England and looked at those who had been prescribed at least one of four types of potentially addictive drugs - known as Dependence Forming Medicines - between 2000 and 2015. The data shows that potentially dependence forming medicines are widely prescribed in primary care. The report highlights that a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders with. The report notes that clinical guidance recommending more cautious and time limited prescribing of benzodiazepines may well have been effective in changing practice, with reductions in the extent and length of benzodiazepine prescribing. It also suggests close and ongoing monitoring of opioid prescribing is needed. This independent research was commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. A copy of the report is attached. In the light of this research, the Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.The recently-updated National Clinical Guidelines for Drug Misuse and Dependence, Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. The guidelines are attached.There is relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available for primary care prescribers for example on benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal. 



Drug Misuse and Dependence Clinical Guideline
(PDF Document, 2.25 MB)




Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Meds
(PDF Document, 2.21 MB)

Medical Records

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what remedy there is when a hospital trust persistently refuses to release full medical records to a patient or a GP for the patient under the Access to Medical Records Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 1998 and may have destroyed some of those records despite their being protected on police advice.

lord o'shaughnessy: Patients have a legal right to apply for access to their medical records. A request for medical records should be made directly to the healthcare provider that provides the treatment. However, information can be exempt from disclosure if it “would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or condition of the data subject or any other person”. An individual can complain to the Information Commissioner (ICO) about the data controller if they disagree with the decision to withhold records, or that this was not done in accordance with the legislation. Similarly, if records that should have been retained have been destroyed or deleted, this can be raised as part of a complaint to the ICO. From an Information Governance perspective, there are provisions with the current Data Protection Act 1998 and under discussion in the Data Protection Bill that allow the data subject (patient) to seek redress.

Mental Health Services

baroness taylor of bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the Safe Haven Projects, as operated by the Frimley Health Foundation Trust.

lord o'shaughnessy: We are informed by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust that five Safe Haven services are currently operating within Surrey and North East Hampshire, providing out of hours support to people who may be in a mental health crisis. The Foundation Trust has informed us that more than 500 people use these services each month, often as an alternative to attending accident and emergency (A&E). An Independent Evaluation of the Aldershot Safe Haven, Independent Evaluation of the North East Hampshire and Farnham Vanguard: Aldershot Safe Haven Service, conducted by the Wessex Academic Health Science Network, and published October 2017, found that the Safe Haven may have contributed to a reduction in acute psychiatric inpatient admissions by 16% between August 2016 and July 2017 and that for a tracked cohort of people there was a reduction in A&E attendances by 45% for the year after their first attendance at a Safe Haven. A copy of the evaluation is attached. The Prime Minister visited the Aldershot Safe Haven on 9 January 2017 where she announced funding for mental health crisis cafes and community clinics. The Government has pledged to provide up to £15 million investment from 2018 to 2020 to provide and promote such services.



Safe Haven Independent Evaluation
(PDF Document, 2.2 MB)

Department for Education

Employment

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 19 December 2017 (HL3873), what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum report, The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, that "social skills, such as persuasion, emotional intelligence and teaching others, will be in higher demand across industries than narrow technical skills, such as programming or equipment operation and control".

lord agnew of oulton: The department is carefully considering the World Economic Report. We expect all schools to offer a broad and balanced education consisting of an academically rigorous, knowledge-based curriculum, which is supported by the development of essential life skills such as confidence, teamwork and resilience. Schools are also encouraged to offer extra-curricular activities aimed at developing these skills through after-school clubs and through programmes such as the National Citizen Service (NCS) and the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP). The government will be investing over £1 billion during the next four years to make NCS a rite of passage for many 16 and 17 year olds. The government has committed £50 million of LIBOR funding to the CEP to deliver 500 cadet units in schools across the UK by April 2020. Cadet units in schools provide extraordinary opportunities for career and personal development for pupils and staff alike. In October 2017, the department announced a £22 million Essential Life Skills programme in the 12 ‘Opportunity Areas’. It will enable schools to offer extra-curricular activities, aimed at developing the non-cognitive skills of disadvantaged pupils living in areas where social mobility is low.

Skilled Workers: Vacancies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the British Chambers of Commerce quarterly economic survey, published on 10 January, which reported skills shortages at “critical levels”.

lord agnew of oulton: The government knows that the labour market is continually changing along with the demand for skills. We welcome Dr. Marshall’s request for employers to invest more in their training. The government is working with employers to design and deliver a skills system that is more responsive to their needs. We are taking steps to increase the supply of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills by supporting new institutions such as NMiTE, a new engineering university in Hereford, and the Institute of Coding, where a consortium of employers and universities will ensure Higher Education courses meet the needs of the economy. We are also funding interventions such as the Stimulating Physics Network and the new Level 3 Mathematics Support Programme to improve the standard of STEM education and engage more young people in these subjects. In 2017, there were 35,000 more entries to STEM A levels compared to 2010, an increase of 17 percent.We are supporting the Institute for Apprenticeships, an employer–led body which is leading the development of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans. From April 2018, the Institute will assume responsibility for T level standards. 214 new employer-designed apprenticeship standards are now ready for delivery, with over 300 more in development. Take up of higher-level apprenticeships in 2016/17 was up by nearly 35 per cent compared to 2015/16 and there were 24,600 apprenticeship starts in 2016/17, increasing from 4,300 the year before. Before Christmas, over 3,000 higher and degree apprenticeships from over 40 high profile employers were being advertised.We are introducing an ambitious ‘National Retraining Scheme’ to boost adult learning. This will bring together government, businesses and employees through the Confederation of British Industry and the Trade Union Congress. A set of sector-focused and employer-driven initiatives starting this year will target immediate skills shortages in key sectors, with £64 million for construction and digital skills.Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) will help align skills provision with local employer demand. The first seven SAP areas are West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Leeds, Greater Lincolnshire, Thames Valley Berkshire, and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly.We are encouraging a high quality, viable and resilient Further Education sector comprised of a range of providers, capable of attracting outstanding teachers and leaders to deliver these changes successfully. The department has committed up to £500 million a year to support the delivery of T levels once all routes are available and announced an extra £20 million for colleges to invest in the workforce to deliver new T level qualifications.The department is also investing in new Institutes of Technology and supporting National Colleges to address the need for specialist skills.

Mental Health Services: Schools

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether teachers who become Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health to oversee the approach to mental health and wellbeing in schools will be trained to distinguish children with anxiety, depression or behavioural problems from children who have myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome) as a primary cause of their illness.

lord agnew of oulton: It will be for schools to decide what training is needed by Designated Senior Leads for mental health. They can choose to train leads in recognising and responding to specific health conditions, including anxiety, depression or myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome).We would not expect leads to have specialist clinical knowledge or to make diagnoses. We expect that they will work closely with new Mental Health Support Teams and specialist NHS services to draw on expert advice and training on how to respond to different needs and ensure that timely referrals are made to NHS services if necessary.The department will be supporting providers to develop training for leads through the Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund. The department wants the training to focus on effective ways to set up and maintain a whole-school approach to mental health within which any conditions can be identified and specialist support provided most effectively.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Construction

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the conclusion of the assessment for the Prison Reform Trust of the financial outlook for HM Prison Service 2017–25 by Julian Le Vay that the Ministry of Justice’s plans for prison building are inadequately funded by£162 million in 2018–19, and that that inadequacy of funding will rise to £463 million in 2022–23.

lord keen of elie: The Government set out its ambition for a reformed prison estate in the November 2016 Prison Safety and Reform White Paper. Our reforms will close ageing and ineffective prisons and replace them with buildings fit for today’s demands. The department is in the process of revising its financial plans to ensure that they reflect the priorities of new ministers. Full account is being taken of both capital and resource costs.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: Greater London

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are proposing to make further changes to the contractual or financial arrangements of the Community Rehabilitation Company following the recent inspection report of HM Chief Inspector of Probation,Quality and Impact inspection: The effectiveness of probation work by the National Probation Service in London.

lord keen of elie: The report of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation) published on 10 January focuses on the performance of the National Probation Service (NPS) in London. The NPS works closely with London Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC), and as HMI Probation note, that relationship is much improved since the last inspection in 2016. We will continue to work with both the NPS and CRC to improve probation services in London. We robustly manage CRC performance and will make further changes to contracts if that is necessary to ensure we are delivering a probation system that protects the public, rehabilitates offenders and commands the confidence of the courts.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 9 January (HL Deb, col 113), which projects funded by the Homelessness Prevention Programme have been successful in reducing family and relationship breakdown.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The 84 projects funded through the Homelessness Prevention Programme are multi-faceted and do not concentrate on one particular reason for a household’s homelessness.They aim to help to ensure that more people have tailored support to avoid becoming homeless in the first place, and receive the rapid support they need to make a sustainable recovery from homelessness.We are supporting 84 projects working across 205 district and unitary local authorities in England through our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme.Spending includes:£20 million for local authorities to trial new initiatives, working with a wider group of at risk people to help families and individuals before they reach crisis point;a £20 million rough sleeping fund to help new rough sleepers, or people at imminent risk of sleeping rough, get the rapid support they need to recover and move on from a rough sleeping crisis; and£10 million of funding for Social Impact Bonds to provide targeted support for entrenched single homeless people.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste Management

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data on the full costs and revenues of the various ways of recycling, or otherwise disposing of, the UK’s domestic waste stream they use to inform their policy in this regard.

lord gardiner of kimble: We use the latest industry data on the cost of collection of waste and recycling, waste treatment and disposal. We work closely with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which has strong industry links and is well placed for tracking and revisiting the latest evidence on costs and revenues. In terms of costs, one of the key sources of information is the so called gate fee price, i.e. the prices asked by different waste and recycling industry actors to process a certain type of material. Our latest Digest 2017, shows the latest trends in gates fees across facilities like materials recovery facilities, energy from waste plants, anaerobic digestion plants or landfill. There is more detail on the latest gate fee prices on WRAP’s website. In terms of revenues, a key public source for material recycling revenues can be accessed at letsrecycle.com. With respect to local authority costs and revenues of waste and recycling activities, a WRAP Consistency Framework summarises the core data in an evidence report (2016) which can be found on WRAP’S website. This is built on detailed assessments of local authority costs of collection and treatment, including elements like staff and non-staff costs as well as average revenues received for sold recyclates. Further information on this is provided in the WRAP Kerbside Analysis Tool available on Wrap’s website.

Nature Conservation

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce regular reviews of protected species designations; and if so, what timeframe they propose for such reviews.

lord gardiner of kimble: In accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, a review of the domestic animal and plant species listed for protection is conducted every five years. Implementing changes as a result of the review is a matter for the UK Government and devolved administrations. We believe a five-yearly review is proportionate as the status of species rarely alters at a greater rate. If necessary, interim amendments can be made in the event of a sudden change in the conservation status of an individual species.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to respond to the global scientific information contained in the television programme Blue Planet II by initiating immediate and effective global action to safeguard the wildlife and habitats of the world's oceans.

lord gardiner of kimble: Our 25 Year Environment Plan, launched last week, demonstrates our continued commitment to protect the oceans to ensure the UK continues to be a global leader in protecting seas, oceans and marine life through a variety of measures. We now have nearly 300 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters and by 2020 we will deliver a network of MPAs that will cover 25% of the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone. We are also on track to protect 4 million square kilometres of ocean across the UK’s Overseas Territories by 2020. Later this year we will have completed a major assessment of how far our seas have moved towards good environmental status since 2012, and intend to consult on the findings later in the year. The UK has also been working with the 15 Contracting Parties of the OSPAR Convention to produce a major assessment of the status of the North East Atlantic Ocean, the results of which were published last year.   We are also leading the way in tackling the plastic waste devastating our marine environment – our 5p plastic bag charge has taken nine billion bags out of circulation and we have introduced one of the world’s toughest bans on harmful microbeads. We are also investigating whether we should introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and other single use drinks containers, and will shortly launch a call for evidence seeking views on how the tax system or charges could reduce the amount of single use waste. In addition, we have asked one of our specialist committees to review evidence on the use of microplastics in a range of products, and their chances of reaching the seas – and we are commissioning further research to better understand their impact on the marine environment. The UK will be playing an active role in securing a new international agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Pyrolysis

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned any further research into the pyrolysis of waste plastics into fuels and hydrogen cells since the publication of the report Air quality impacts of the use of Pyrolysis liquid fuelsinFebruary 2012.

lord gardiner of kimble: Further research related to air quality and the pyrolysis of waste products has not been commissioned since the paper referred to. The Government is committed to improving the recovery of value from residual waste and encourages the development of innovative, emerging techniques to help divert waste from landfill.

Home Office

UK Border Force: Training

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is given to Border Force staff relating directly to their immigration work.

baroness williams of trafford: Border Force has a workforce model clearly setting out roles and skills coupled with a workforce planning process enabling effective training and deployment.Staff can be deployed to areas of greatest need at short notice and have expertise in modern slavery and trafficking, deep rummage of commercial vessels and forgery detection.

HM Treasury

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families have had their tax credits reduced by the two-child limit in each month since the introduction of the limit in April 2017; how many of those families had one or more parents in work; how many families were (1) lone parent families or (2) two-parent families; and what was the number of children per family involved.

lord bates: The government considers the impact of policies on different groups during their development. During the passage of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 we published an Impact Assessment[1] for the policy of limiting support in tax credits and Universal Credit. The impact assessment shows the number of Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit claimants who were expected to be affected by the policy over the next five years. This does not include a number of groups who have received an exception to the policy of limiting support: statistics on these exceptions will be published in due course. [1] https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006E.pdf  



impact assessment 
(PDF Document, 248.3 KB)

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families with three or more children have been able to claim the Child Tax Credit amount for a third or subsequent child under the “special circumstances” exemption rules that apply to the two-child limit, in each month since the introduction of the limit in April 2017; and what reasons were provided for those exemptions.

lord bates: Families on benefits should have to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work. However, in recognition that some claimants are not able to make choices about the number of children in their family the government has provided exceptions in certain cases. Following debate in parliament and a public consultation, the government introduced regulations that allow exceptions to apply in cases where the third or subsequent children are: part of a multiple birth, although it does not cover one child in that birth on the grounds that the parents would have expected the pregnancy to have resulted in at least one birth; children who are adopted when they would otherwise be in Local Authority care; in non-parental caring arrangements, including formal arrangements (e.g. Child Arrangement Orders, Special Guardianship Orders, certain Scottish Kinship Care Orders etc) and informal arrangements where the child is living long terms with friends or family and would otherwise be at risk of entering the care system; born as a result of non-consensual conception (including cases of rape or coercion and control).Statistics relating to exceptions to the limit on support to two children in Child Tax Credit will be published once there are sufficient cases to enable robust analysis and the data has been quality assured.

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the impact of the two-child limit for Child Tax Credits on the well-being of children in large families affected by the policy, since it was introduced in April 2017.

lord bates: The government is committed to supporting families. We are helping families retain more of what they earn by raising the personal allowance, successive increases mean that a basic rate tax payer will be £1,075 better off in 2018-19 than in 2010-11. Also, to help working parents we have doubled free childcare available for 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week, saving in total around £5,000 a year per child, and we are introducing Tax Free Childcare, providing support of up to £2000 per year for each child. However, there is more to do and the government is committed to delivering a country that works for everyone. Last April, the government published its “Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families” strategy. This focused on measures that tackle the root causes of poverty and improve children’s welfare, in particular parental worklessness and educational attainment. Data on each of the areas targeted by the Strategy is published annually. We keep all our policies under review, including the policy of limiting support in Child Tax Credits.

Certificates of Tax Deposit

lord leigh of hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the Certificates of Tax Deposit Scheme with a comparable replacement; and what consultation they will undertake on this subject.

lord bates: There are no plans to replace the Certificate of Tax Deposit Scheme. Closure of the Certificate of Tax Deposit scheme will make the tax system simpler and fairer. New certificates are no longer available to buy but existing ones will continue to be honoured until 23rd November 2023, giving up to six years for existing users to adjust to the change. There are no plans for consultation on a replacement.

Bank Services: Fraud

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe different rates of compensation offered by UK banks to their customers where cyber fraud has occurred.

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with consumer organisations about the different rates of compensation offered by UK banks to customers who have been affected by cyber fraud.

lord bates: The government has not made an assessment of different rates of compensation offered by banks.The Payment Services Regulations 2017 require banks to give a full refund to a customer who did not authorise a transaction on their account. However, if the unauthorised transaction arose from the use of a lost, stolen or misappropriated payment instrument, before the customer notified the bank of the loss, theft or misappropriation, the bank may require that the customer cover up to £35 of the liability.In addition, customers may be liable for unauthorised transactions if they have themselves been involved in the fraudulent activity or have intentionally not complied with their obligations in relation to the payment instrument (or have been grossly negligent about those obligations), for example obligations to keep a payment instrument safe and to notify the issuer when becoming aware that a payment instrument has been lost or misappropriated.The Payment Services Regulations do not require banks to compensate customers where a payment was validly authorised by the customer and correctly executed in accordance with the customer’s instructions. In some such cases banks may choose to compensate customers, and this can vary between institutions.Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. This includes regular meetings with consumer organisations to discuss relevant regulatory issues, including compensation for victims of fraud.Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations are published on GOV.UK on a quarterly basis.

Financial Services

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reassurances they can offerUK asset management firms in response toconcerns regarding potential changes to delegation rules following Brexit.

lord bates: The government recognises that the ability to delegate functions on a cross-border basis is vital to the strength of the UK asset management industry and the delivery of the best possible outcomes for investors. On 6 December 2017, the government published the Investment Management Strategy II, which sets out a long-term approach to ensure that the UK remains a competitive global centre for asset management. Within this strategy, the government outlined its view that delegation arrangements work well with appropriate oversight and regulatory cooperation. The government also committed to work with other jurisdictions to ensure global regulatory coherence within asset management and to preserve the ability to delegate functions, such as portfolio management, from one jurisdiction to another.

Bank Services

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether retail banks are conducting sufficient checks on the credentials of people seeking to open an account.

lord bates: Retail banks have comprehensive obligations when it comes to identifying customers at the start of a business relationship. The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 set out the requirements and further guidance is provided to retail banks through the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group’s Guidance, which is approved by HM Treasury. UK Customer Due Diligence Requirements reflect the global standards agreed by the Financial Action Task Force and are provided for in European legislation through the Fourth Money Laundering Directive. The FCA use a risk-based approach to supervise retail banks’ compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations, including their adherence to the requirements for customer identification. In addition, the Immigration Act 2014 prohibits banks and building societies from opening current accounts for people who are known not to have leave to remain in or to enter the UK. To ensure they are complying with the Act, banks and building societies can carry out an immigration status check with a specified anti-fraud organisation or data-matching authority (CIFAS).

Affordable Housing: Taxation

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide favourable tax treatment for developers and builders of affordable housing, both for rent and for sale.

lord bates: The government already provides tax reliefs for developers and builders of affordable housing. This includes VAT relief for the construction of new residential property and conversion of commercial property in to new housing. In addition, there are already provisions in the tax system that, subject to certain conditions, relieve transactions in land and property by registered social landlords from Stamp Duty Land Tax and Capital Gains Tax. Whilst all taxes are kept under review, there are no plans to introduce additional tax reliefs at this time. The government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing, and in October announced a further £2 billion of funding for the Affordable Homes Programme, including funding for social rented homes.

Cabinet Office

Peers: Public Appointments

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to amending the Letters Patent to limit the terms of new appointments to the House of Lords to 15 years.

lord young of cookham: Any such amendments to the Letters Patent of new members of the House of Lords would require primary legislation. The Government has been clear that comprehensive reform of this House, which requires legislation, is not a priority for the current Parliament.

Department of Health and Social Care: Reorganisation

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the change of name of the Department of Health to the Department of Health and Social Care, whether there have been any changes to the responsibilities of (1) that Department, and (2) any other department.

lord young of cookham: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) held responsibility for social care policy before the name change and will continue to do so. DHSC has taken on additional responsibility for delivering the forthcoming Social Care green paper. The team who have been leading the work on the green paper have moved from the Cabinet Office to DHSC. Responsibility for Local Authority funded social care will remain with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. There has been no change in responsibilities to any other department.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they commissioned impact assessments of the failure of Carillion; and if so, at what stage.

lord young of cookham: Our priority is to keep public services running. We have extensive contingency plans and are working hard to minimise any disruption.We have worked closely across government with all affected departments and stakeholders to develop robust contingency plans that enable us to maintain the continuity and mitigate impacts to public services where possible.

Carillion

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they most recently agreed a contract with Carillion;what contracts have been agreed in the last 12 months; and what are the details of those contracts.

lord young of cookham: Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/SearchWe also routinely stress-test contracts to ensure that if one party within a contract fails to deliver, the other parties involved will step in to complete the work. As with all contracts, our priority is to have best value and outcome for taxpayers’ money.We have worked closely across government with all affected departments and stakeholders to develop robust contingency plans that enable us to maintain the continuity and mitigate impacts to public services where possible.

Carillion

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 20 March 2015 (HLWS406), Prompt Payment – Implementing the Duty on Large Companies to Report on Payment Practices and Policies, whether payment practices and policies were incorporated into public sector contracts, including those relating to HS2, Network Rail and the passenger train operating companies, between (1) government departments and agencies and Carillion, and (2) Carillion and its sub-contractors; whether government departments and agencies monitored any divergence from those practices and policies; if so, which; and what payment terms, expressed in days, were incorporated into those contracts, broken down by sector or major contract.

lord young of cookham: Through the Public Contract Regulations 2015, public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts; and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission an independent review into the granting of government contracts to Carillion after that company declared itself to be in financial difficulty; what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of the attention given to the solvency and liquidity of the company before granting those contracts; and what consideration was given to rules relating to state aid relating to the grant of those contracts.

lord young of cookham: Following the news of the collapse of Carillion, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee launched an inquiry into how the Government and public sector manages the risks of outsourcing the delivery of public services. The government will fully cooperate with this Inquiry.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

BBC: Equal Pay

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 9 January (HL Deb, cols 130–34) stating that “the Government absolutely support urgent action” on unfair pay at the BBC and that “the Government expect the BBC to act in accordance with what we have expected it to do as regards the gender pay gap”, what steps they are taking to encourage urgent action to address the gender pay gap at theBBC.

lord ashton of hyde: The government is clear the BBC must lead the way on equality in the workplace. We welcome the Director General's commitment to close the gender pay gap by 2020 and expect to see swift progress in this area.

Cultural Heritage: EU Action

lord inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are proposing to seek an exemption from the provisions of the proposed EU Regulation on the import of cultural goods in respect of domestic personal effects of those proposing to live and work in the EU post-Brexit.

lord ashton of hyde: The proposed EU Regulation on the import of cultural goods is currently under negotiation with the EU. The UK’s future adherence to EU Regulations, will be subject to exit negotiations.